Dental bite plate



Feb. 10, 1931.

C. J. CHRISTOPHER DENTAL BITE PLATE Filed Jan. 9, 1930 Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED stares PATENT orrica CARL J. CHRISTOPHER, DECEASED, LATE OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, BY STATE BANK OF CHICAGO, EXECUTOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS DENTAL BITE PLATE Application filed January 9, 1930. Serial No. 419,489.

' tion.

In practice ithas been found that greater 7 accuracy is attained when the tongue of the patient is elevated and held against an abutment, and to this end the principal object of the invention is to produce a dental bite plate having provision for applying to'its upper and lower surfaces, respectively, the wax or material in which the impression is to be made, said device having a transverse abutment portion over which the tongue of the patient is hooked and firmly supported dur ing the process of taking the impression. The invention further consists in the general arrangement and novel structural features of the device as hereinafter described and pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical adaptation and application of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional view illustrating the use of the device in taking the impression Fig. 2 is a plan view of one form of the device;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the device;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig.' 6 is a transverse section on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1O designates generally the bite plate, this plate preferably being made of a sanitary non-corrosive metal possessing sufiicient self-supporting rigidity, yet being somewhat pliable so as to be readily bent, by hand and at the will of the operator, and thereby changed in contour in order to more conveniently adapt the device to each individual case. Obviously, the device may be stamped from sheet metal or it may be produced by die casting or by any other approved or desirable method of production.

As shown, the device of the present inven-, tion is provided with a central opening 11, thereby producing the side portions 12 which are connected by the intermediate front portion 15, whereby that part of the device to which the Wax or impression taking substance is applied is substantially U-shaped. The intermediate portion 13 has a forwardly extending tongue 14 constituting a handle for facilitating the manipulation of the device in placing it in and removing it from the mouth of the patient, while the end portions of the side members 12 are connected by a cross bar or bridge portion 15. Preferably,

this crossbar or bridge portion 15 is curved forwardly, as shown more clearly. in Figs. 2 and 1 of the drawings, and it is arched as shown in'Figs. 3, 5 and 6 of the drawings.

In Fig. 3 it is noted that the arching of the I cross bar or bridge portion 15 is only slightly above the plane of the side portions 12, whereas, in Fig. 6, said portion 15 is arched to a comparatively higher extent, and this is to illustrate an important feature of the present invention, in that the preferred characteristic metal of which the device is composed permits of the ready bending of the cross bar or bridge portion 15 by the operator in order to adapt the device to universal use in the mouths of patients where there is a considerable variation in the height of the vaulted roofs thereof, the object being, in the use of the device, to utilize the cross bar or bridge portion 15 as an abutment for the tongue of the patient and to support the tongue well towards the roof of the mouth.

In some cases the bite plate side and end portions 12 and 13, respectively, may be made concavo-convex in cross section as shown more clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings, this formation being to adord laterally retentive resistance for the wax or impressionmaterial when applied to the surfaces of said portions of ing of the member 15 being produced by embossing it upwardly, by which provision no 'elatively sharp edges are presented to the di comfort of the patient. Instead of making the side and end portions 12 and 13 concaveconvex in cross section. said portions may be made fiat t-l roughout the extent thereof, and be provided with a series of a ertures 16, said apertures being primarily provided for the purpose of securing better adhesion of the W213; or impression material to the surface of the device; that is to say when the we); or other impression material is; pressed upon l o, a portion thereof enters said pertions 16, whereby a more secure bond is afforded,lparticularly when the wax or other ression. may ill S applied to both sides of the plate. using the o the uoper h ving thus i a from the t t d a roll of war; or i terial is placed on the lowei ace of the bite tray. The-bite tray is n placed in $16 mouth and the upper impression, previously made, is reseated on 1 W 7 v. no the has pies 'icge. The upper 11 i made, the device is i of the pa lent a? the upper ridge.-- The patient, with his tongue hooked over the cross bar or bridge portion 15 and thereby firmly supported, is then instructed to close the lower mandible and the lower ridge impression is thereby produced in the impression material on the under side of the bite plate, and the upper and lower impressions are thus produced in perfect register occlusion. i

The device of the present invention, as hereinbefore stated, is primarily intended for use as a bite plate or tray, but it has the further advantages of being utilized in other operations in the making of artificial dentures and it is therefore not specifically limited to such first mentioned usage. So, too, the device may be modified considerably in its construction and arrangement Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific details of. structure shown in the accompanyin drawings.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dental bite plate having a central opening and a transverse bridge member connecting the side portions of said plate at the rear thereof and affording an abutment and tongue rest.

2. A dental bite plate having a central opening, defining continuous side and front impression supporting portions, and a transverse bridge portion connecting said side portions whereb to afiord an abutment and 9 tongue support.

l "b ll tl l e o. nae ierein uescil ec cen a app lance comprisin a centrally apertured plate providing side and front lmpression supporting portions, the front portion having a forwart handle enter sion, and a transverse bridge portion connecting said side portions and affording" an abutment and tongue support.

ateof pliable yet sch-support- 'nietal, said t-late having a central opening reby to define characteristic continuous he herein described dental appliance 

